Battle of Shackamaxon

The Battle of Shackamaxon (winter 1610) was a decisive victory for the Colony of Virginia in their war with the Powhatan Confederacy in Virginia. The Virginia colonists, equipped with firearms, defeated an ambush by Chief Opechancanough and proceeded to capture the Powhatan capital of Shackamaxon, ensuring that the colonization of the New World was a success.

Background
In 1607, the Kingdom of England colonized a land on the coastline of the Americas and named it "Virginia", and built a settlement that became known as "Jamestown". The English were not the only people there, as they came into conflict with the nearby Powhatan Confederacy of Indian tribes. In 1607, the English leader John Smith defeated a Powhatan attack on Jamestown, and he led an offensive that captured the city of Weruwocomoco in Maryland from the Powhatan tribe. By 1610, his army had closed in on the Powhatan capital of Shackamaxon.

Chief Opechancanough and 540 Powhatan warriors waited in the woods around the city in order to ambush the English colonists, whose army of 615 colonial militia was moving north on the village. John Smith's force was ambushed by the Powhatan, but they were prepared.

Battle
The colonial militia, many of them armored and supplied with muskets, formed firing lines towards the forest where the Powhatan came from, removing the Powhatan advantage of surprise. The English troops were able to fire on the Powhatan as they charged at them, and the Powhatan fell in great numbers before they could enter melee combat. In melee, the armored English troops with steel swords hacked down the armorless Powhatan warriors and forced them to retreat; in the end, 469 Powhatan and only 19 English were killed in action.

Shortly after, John Smith moved on the village of Shackamaxon itself, facing 1,650 Powhatan under Nikinapi. The English colonists took over the city with 139 losses and they ended the Powhatan Confederacy, and the colonization of the New World succeeded.